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Sometimes Good News Is Buried in the Fine Print

Last year, a UK-based nonprofit tax policy organization decided to protest a legal requirement that it had to have a posted privacy policy. Its director, Dan Neidle, wanted to make the point that no one reads these things so what was the point of even having one.

So, he launched his personal protest in February 2024 by inserting an offer of a free bottle of wine into his privacy policy:

*MOUSE PRINT:

Privacy policy - free wine

It took three months before anyone noticed the free wine offer and claimed it.

After the wine was claimed, Neidle commented, “Every tiny coffee shop has to have a privacy policy on their website, it’s crazy. It’s money that’s being wasted.”

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Be Skeptical of Glowing Amazon Reviews

When MrConsumer is seriously contemplating buying a particular product, he scrutinizes online reviews by others who have purchased the item to see what their real-world experience with it has been. Many of you probably do the same thing.

The trouble is that some unscrupulous sellers try to manipulate online reviews to make the product seem better than it really is. They might pay people to post fake reviews, they might write and post reviews themselves, or they might selectively promote good reviews or try to bury or delete bad reviews.

Sleep patchAs the leading online seller, Amazon certainly can be a target for fake reviews. A friend who was looking for remedies to help him sleep better, scoured Amazon looking for possible solutions. About six months ago, he came upon this product called “Sleep Patch” which was highly rated there.

He was suspicious because the product at the time had 16 reviews on Amazon and they all just happened to be five-star. What are the odds of everyone loving this product? First red flag. And all the reviews were posted on the same day – December 18, 2024 – a mere four weeks after the product was first offered there. Second red flag.

We decided to take a little closer look at this product listing and came up with some interesting additional findings. Watch out for these additional red flags.

*MOUSE PRINT:

  • The brand is zeBrush, but there doesn’t seem to be a website for this company.

  • None of the reviewers apparently bought the product on Amazon because none of them are “verified purchasers.”

    verified shoppers

  • We cannot find this product for sale on any other website. So how did those 16 people write reviews of the product? If they got a free sample, they would have had to disclose that at the beginning of their review under FTC rules.

  • In looking at the other reviews written by these 16 people, eight of them – 50% – also reviewed this barn door. Did all these people just coincidentally buy the same barn door? Come on.

  • Needless to say, there is something very fishy going on here. Amazon says, however, that they have various systems in place to help ensure that posted reviews are legitimate including using artificial intelligence. Perhaps they need to use real intelligence.

    We all need to spend a little more time scrutinizing online reviews and not simply accept the posted opinions and ratings at face value.

    NOTE: Due to a technical glitch, some of you were unable to post a comment last week. That function has been restored, so feel free to try again. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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    Kroger Makes Digital Coupons Easier to Use

    For the past three years, consumer groups including Consumer World have called on big supermarket chains to make digital coupons easier to use for seniors, poor folks, and others who either don’t use the internet or smartphones or who are not particularly tech-savvy.

    Normally, a shopper has to use the supermarket’s website or app to individually select and load each digital-only offer or coupon onto their store loyalty card account before they shop in order to get the advertised discount.

    CherriesConsumer World photo illustration

    Now Kroger and some of its various supermarket brands like King Soopers have come up with a simple and cheap solution. They are making available digital deal savings sheets — a “super coupon,” if you will — that is a two-sided piece of paper that you pick up as you enter the store or at the courtesy desk. All that week’s advertised digital deals from the store’s current circular are summarized there, and a small barcode is provided on the back. The shopper need only scan that barcode at the checkout, and then all that week’s advertised digital coupons will be loaded onto the customer’s account and the savings automatically deducted from their bill.

    *MOUSE PRINT:

    Kroger Digital Deals Sheet (small) Sample Kroger Digital “Super Coupon” (click to enlarge)

    Consumer World asked the company for details about which of their chains have implemented these deal sheets, but they did not respond to multiple requests. Nonetheless, we salute Kroger for finally heeding the call to make digital coupons easier to use and available to digitally-disconnected shoppers.

    We also asked The Consumerman, Herb Weisbaum, to check the stores in the Seattle area — QFC and Fred Meyer. He reports that both stores had displays of the “super coupons” near the store entrance.

    QFC Deals Sheet

    If you shop at a Kroger-owned store (Kroger, Baker’s, Dillons, Food4Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Payless, Pick’n Save, QFC, Ralph’s, or Smith’s), please post a comment noting whether your store now has the “super coupon,” and if it was near the store entrance or if you had to request it. (Some locations reportedly are keeping them hidden behind the service desk, believe it or not.)

    Kroger’s move follows an initiative by Stop & Shop at the beginning of 2025 to install “Savings Center” kiosks in the front of their 350+ stores where all a shopper need do is scan her loyalty card and then all that week’s advertised digital coupons are automated loaded onto her account.

    Some of these efforts by supermarket chains to make digital coupons easier to use are the result of consumer complaints by customers, the advocates’ campaign to end digital discrimination, and legislative efforts requiring that non-digital alternatives be offered.

    In regard to legal initiatives, San Diego’s new ordinance that requires supermarkets to make available printed versions of digital coupons in the store just hit a road block because retailers are opposed it. They lobbied for an amendment that would completely gut the new requirement. See Coupons in the News. It is scheduled for a new hearing this week. Stay tuned.

    =======
    UPDATE
    =======

    Without going into great detail here, MrConsumer wrote to the entire San Diego city council pointing out the issue with their proposed amendment. And they listened and voted approval of a revised amendment. Now stores need provide “an in-store alternative” for all publicly available digital-only deals and digital coupons (instead of the only option being printed versions of digital coupons). They dropped the explicit exclusion of digital offers in store loyalty programs that would have been fatal to the original amendment. The new ordinance gets a second reading soon, and goes into effect in October.